Deltochilini
Guides
Canthon
tumblebugs, dung rollers
Canthon is a genus of ball-rolling dung beetles (telocoprids) commonly known as tumblebugs, distributed across the Nearctic and Neotropical regions. Adults are known for their distinctive behavior of forming dung balls and rolling them away from source material for feeding or nesting. The genus exhibits notable behavioral diversity, with some species employing 'sit and wait' perching strategies to detect dung through chemoreception, while others actively follow animals. Several species show color polymorphism that may be linked to thermal adaptation and elevational distribution.
Canthon cyanellus
Dung beetle
Canthon cyanellus is a dung beetle species in the family Scarabaeidae, first described by LeConte in 1859. The species belongs to the genus Canthon, a group of dung beetles commonly known as "tumblebugs" for their behavior of rolling dung into balls. It occurs across a broad geographic range spanning the southern United States through Mexico and Central America into northern South America. The species has been recorded from Texas in the Nearctic realm and from Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, and Brazil in the Neotropical realm.
Canthon humectus
Canthon humectus is a species of dung beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, originally described by Thomas Say in 1832 as Ateuchus humectus. The species belongs to the genus Canthon, commonly known as tumblebugs, which are characterized by their habit of rolling dung into balls. It is recognized as having eight subspecies, including the nominate subspecies Canthon humectus humectus. The species has been reported from North America and Oceania, with confirmed presence in Hawaii.
Deltochilum scabriusculum
Deltochilum scabriusculum is a species of dung beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, distributed from the southern United States through Mexico and Central America. The subspecies D. s. montanum was synonymized with the nominate form in a 2012 taxonomic revision. Like other members of its genus, it belongs to a group historically associated with dung-feeding behavior, though specific ecological studies for this species are lacking.
Malagoniella
Malagoniella is a genus of dung beetles in the family Scarabaeidae, tribe Deltochilini. It was described by Martinez in 1961 and was formerly classified within the tribe Canthonini. The genus contains approximately 10 described species distributed in the Neotropical region.
Melanocanthon vulturnus
Melanocanthon vulturnus is a species of dung beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, described by Edmonds in 2023. It belongs to the genus Melanocanthon within the tribe Deltochilini. As a recently described species, published knowledge about its biology and ecology remains limited. It is part of the diverse scarab beetle fauna associated with dung decomposition.
Pseudocanthon
Pseudocanthon is a genus of dung beetles in the family Scarabaeidae, tribe Deltochilini. The genus comprises approximately 10 valid species and two subspecies, with five species recorded in South America. Three South American species were described as new in a 2021 taxonomic revision: P. vazdemelloi, P. pantanensis, and P. chaquensis. The genus was historically treated as a subgenus of Canthon but is now recognized at generic rank.